Countdown Clocks Go Express.....or Local

March 09th, 2011

<p>Countdown Clocks already offer subway customers audio and visual alerts to the arrival of the next train. However, to remove some of the confusion in the busier stations serving multiple train lines we have added express (EXP) and local (LCL) icons to help riders identify arriving trains.</p><img class="frame" src="/sites/default/files/archive/imgs/DSC_0182a.jpg" title="Countdown Clocks Go Express.....or Local" alt="Countdown Clocks Go Express.....or Local" style="margin-bottom:6px;float:left; margin-right:12px;"><p>The Public Address Customer Information Screen (PA/CIS) system, commonly referred to as Countdown Clocks, is a major component of the MTA's effort to substantially upgrade customer communications across the entire network and the signs are already up and operating in nearly 110 stations along the numbered lines.</p> <p> Depending on the station configuration, signs will include direction and/or service type (express or local) information, as appropriate. So at Wall Street, only the 2 and 3 trains stop there&#8212;no locals. These are express trains traveling in different directions, so the signs only display uptown (UP) or Brooklyn (BKL). At 14th Street, the island platform is common for all trains going in the same direction so we show local or express. </p> <p> The addition of the icons is just a little bit more of a good thing for customers waiting for their trains. The changes were made initially at the Wall Street, 14th Street and 34th Street Stations on the West Side IRT. Stations were chosen where the Countdown Clocks are required to display multiple services and directions. The upgrade is also being performed at Chambers Street on the No.1 as well as Franklin Ave., Nevins Street and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. The ability to include the additional information was available in the system and deployed at no additional cost.</p><p>The Countdown Clocks provide train arrival messages in audio and video. The messages indicate when the next two trains are due to arrive at the station and their destinations. Aside from train arrivals, the system also allows NYC Transit to provide both audio and visual messages to customers, keeping them fully informed about service delays or emergency situations. Countdown Clocks will be rolled out incrementally reaching 153 stations by the end of the year. They were first introduced along the Canarsie L line in January 2007.</p><p>The information distributed through the system originates from NYC Transit's Rail Control Center (RCC). From the RCC, Customer Service Agents can provide subway customers with service status and other information either as audio only, visual only, or as synchronized audio and visual information. The system includes signs and speakers located on the platforms and in the fare control areas prior to entering the station.</p>